BEIJING - China called for the next World Bank chief to be picked based on merit, as current President Robert Zoellick plans to vacate the post traditionally held by a US citizen.

The next leader should be selected "based on merit and open competition", Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said at a briefing in Beijing on Thursday. Liu was responding to a question on whether the next head of the World Bank should be from a developing nation. Zoellick's term ends in June.

During his tenure, Zoellick worked hard to help developing countries face the challenges of the global financial crisis, Liu said.

Zoellick had worked to "promote global poverty alleviation, pushed for reform of the World Bank's governance structure and increased the representation of developing countries in the World Bank", Liu said.

Zoellick attaches great importance to cooperation between the agency and China, Liu said, adding that he has contributed to development and poverty relief in China.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has no interest in becoming the next president of the agency, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said on Wednesday.

"The secretary has addressed this issue many times since last year. She has said this is not happening. Her view has not changed," Nuland told reporters at a regular briefing.

Nuland's remarks came after US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on the same day that the Treasury was slated to announce a candidate to serve at the helm of the agency.

There had been speculation that Clinton would take the top job at the World Bank after she leaves her current position.

When asked if Clinton and US President Barack Obama have had discussions about the position, Nuland said: "I can't speak to that."

Traditionally, the World Bank's president is a US citizen and the chief of its sister agency, the International Monetary Fund, is a European

Brazilian Finance Minister, Guido Mantega, told reporters that there's "no reason for the principal leader to come from a specific country". Mexican central bank Governor Agustin Carstens, speaking in Mexico City, echoed that sentiment, saying the World Bank chief should be selected by merit, not pre-arranged rules.

Nominations for president of the Washington-based development bank are subject to approval by its executive board. The bank made $57 billion in loans in the last fiscal year.

China Daily-Bloomberg